2025

Munachaka, Jonathan Chankabalala

This study sought to identify children in need of special assistance to acquire basic reading skills in Zambia using GraphoLearn (GL) technology as a dynamic assessment (DA) method. DA was applied among Grade 3 children initially found to be at risk of learning to read by using traditional assessment methods of reading skills and, consequently, the initial risk group (iRG, N= 56). Such at-risk children were selected from a sample of 585 Grade 1 children. Due to attrition, only 31 were further available for observing their learning using the GL-based DA tool for possible difficulty in learning the speech-sounds connected to the letters in the Chinyanja language. The DA revealed that only a small subgroup of the iRG children failed to learn in an expected way to connect speech-sounds to letters, thus showing as being reading resistant. This resistance can be interpreted to show that they were at biological risk. They formed a dyslexia group (bRG, N = 6). The rest of the children in the iRG subgroup, who did not show comparable resistance, were defined as not at biological risk (NbRG, N=25). They learned the connections between the speech- sounds consistently representing the letters. The outstanding performing (oNbRG, N=5) children formed a control group. The follow-up and comparison of the groups were conducted at ages of 11-14 years (until Grade 6) using spelling tests, Early Grade Reading Assessment (EGRA), observations, family and teacher interviews, English reading and school records. The follow-up results revealed that children's reading skills for non- biological risk (oNbRG) had improved and that they had learned to read their home/familiar language during the early school years. These results mean that they did not show any real risk for dyslexia. This information was further confirmed by results collected during Grade 6 when they had learned to read grade-appropriate short English sight words. Their poor results in the traditional assessments were not predictive but only reflected compromised teaching. Earlier research from Zambia has shown that GraphoLearn effectively supports the acquisition of the basic reading skill. Therefore, it seems evident that in Zambia, traditional ways to assess reading acquisition are less valid. Still, GL-based DA or similar dynamic assessment procedures are needed to differentiate children who need more help than received via typical school instruction. Only early identification of biological risk can guide these children to receive appropriate training. It is suggested that the GL technology can offer practical help for learning (see grapholearn.info) and effective prediction of the learning of essential reading skills of both familiar language(s) and a second language such as English.